Floor Speech
Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Jon Lester, a resident of Puyallup, Washington, for his bravery in surviving cancer and his achievements as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball.
Jon graduated from Bellarmine Prep School in 2002. That same year, the Red Sox drafted him. He played for the Red Sox's minor league team, the Portland Sea Dogs.
I want to start by thanking Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for the work they have done, not just on this bill but during the 12 years that I've been in Congress and even before then.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 790 and to acknowledge the dedication and support provided to Washington State veterans by the Veterans Family Fund and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
As someone who is privileged to represent thousands of veterans and their families, I believe that we owe the men and women who have served our country an enormous amount of gratitude and respect.
Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, on December 2 and 3, a severe winter storm swept across Oregon and Washington State. Countless first responders came to the aid of those in need and worked tirelessly to restore order in the aftermath of the storm. I strongly support H. Res. 851 in recognition of the dedication, service, and courage shown by these men and women.
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by echoing the comments of my colleague from Texas (Mr. Thornberry) and also thanking him for his outstanding leadership on our subcommittee. It's been great to work in a bipartisan fashion with Mr. Thornberry; with Mr. Saxton, the former chairman; and the other members of the committee. And I will not repeat all that Mr. Thornberry just said because I agree with it completely.
Mr. Speaker, in this debate tonight, it's almost like we're having two conversations. There's the conversation about the trade agreement and there is the conversation about larger economic issues, from environment to jobs to a whole lot of other issues.
Madam Speaker, this year marks 30 years since PATH began working to create innovative solutions that enable communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. Originally founded in 1977 as the Program for the Introduction and Adaptation of Contraceptive Technology (PIACT), PATH began by helping manufacturers set up facilities for making high-quality condoms in China.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a U.S. Army brigade from Fort Lewis, Washington, that has served with distinction in Iraq.
On October 11, the last of the roughly 3,800 men and women of the 3rd Brigade-2nd Infantry Division returned home to Fort Lewis after completing their second deployment to Iraq. The Arrowhead Brigade has been a trailblazer for the Army as the first brigade to be outfitted with the Stryker combat vehicles, the first Stryker Brigade to serve in Iraq, and now the first Stryker Brigade to complete two tours in Iraq.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Global Poverty Act and want to take a moment to explain the profound need for this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, since the United States Air Force was established as an independent branch of the U.S. Armed Forces in 1947, it has played a major role in our national defense. Throughout its 60 years of valiant service, from Operation Rolling Thunder over the skies of Southeast Asia, to Operations Northern and Southern Watch in Iraq, the men and women of the United States Air Force and Air National Guard have defended the United States and our allies around the world.
Mr. Speaker, in listening to this debate, I think the biggest problem is the proponents of the stay-the-course plan in Iraq continually and completely equate the battle in Iraq with the battle against al Qaeda and the terrorists who struck us. The two are not the same. In fact, we heard from Ms. Ros-Lehtinen that Iraq is but one of the battlefields that we are fighting against al Qaeda. That is absolutely true. Yet we have 80 percent of our assets in Iraq.